No Exception
by KWillows
Summary: [Chapter nine up] Booth and Brennan plan a fake wedding to get Booth’s brother to meet the daughter he ran away from. Will Jared make up for years of mistakes? What will happen when B&B get to the altar? Read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a BB piece inspired by Snow Patrol's "Run". I highly recommend listening to that song while reading this story. It just seems to fit. Enjoy, and at the end please let me know what you thought. I fixed a mistake on 3/1, but nothing major has been changed. Thanks so much to all my reviewers, especially to Gayle for catching that typo. I'm thinking of turning this into a multi-chapter story. What do YOU think?**

**No Exception **

It's a strange feeling, the one that comes when you realize you are inches away from staring at death's door. With his long record of public service, Agent Seeley Booth had experienced this feeling several times. And though his spine might've been tingling with trepidation, he always knew he'd fight until the end.

Today was no exception.

In his more recent years he had become accustomed to working with Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist with more guts than were good for a woman. She believed herself to be just as strong as he was and rarely took "no" for an answer. He had begun respecting the motivation she had for getting the job done, even if it meant he was faced with double duties: catching the criminal and watching her back. Sometimes they were thrust in such imminent danger that he wished she had simply chosen to become a ballerina.

Today was no exception.

The morning had started out completely normal. A set of human remains was found and the squint-squad headed off to investigate. Brennan rattled off orders to her team and waited for Booth's instructions. He had a few leads to check out and she was sure to tag along.

"I'm not 'tagging along,' Booth. I'm your partner," she said firmly.

"Relax, Bones. It's just a phrase." He tossed her his signature smile and chuckled when she accepted it as an apology.

Their suspect list grew increasingly throughout the afternoon and Booth felt as though he had grilled dozens of people. Everyone seemed to have an alibi, but neither person was willing to give up. Booth commented that he could almost taste the break in the case. Two hours later, the lab came back with an answer: DNA from the suspected murder weapon had matched someone in the criminal database. The person they needed to talk to most had served ten years for aggravated assault and was an ex-bomb-squad member.

"This isn't going to be easy," Booth said when he and Brennan reached the SUV.

"Is it ever?" she retorted.

Booth called Deputy Director Cullen and relayed the new developments. He alerted the man as to their plan of action. Brennan made sure Angela knew where they were headed.

"Call me if anything comes up," she said.

"I will. And Sweetie, be careful," Angela replied.

The only documented address for the suspect was at a warehouse. The building was large and several of the windows had been shot out. They entered quietly and Booth called for any occupants to announce their presence.

When no one responded to his demands he said, "We're going to search all the rooms. Stay with me."

A rat scurried across the floorboards. "You got it," answered Brennan.

She was only a few steps behind, choosing to stick to his words. They weren't here to apprehend anyone, just to talk, so they hadn't found backup necessary. As they plunged deeper into the dark warehouse, both doubted that decision. Booth stepped into a dusty room, but instead of his quick inspection and exit, he stalled. Brennan ran into his outstretched hand.

"Dammit," he hissed.

"What?" she asked, trying to mask the concern she felt.

"Bones, I want you to turn around and run out of here. Run as fast as you can and don't look back."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Can't you just do what I tell you for once? Without an argument?"

"You're not serious. What's going on?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

He sighed, never moving his hand from where it now lay on her shoulder. "Do you remember why this guy was probably going to be difficult to pin down?"

"He's a bomb expert. So what?"

"I think he just proved himself guilty."

She contemplated his statement for a moment and soon her mouth formed the shape of an "o." She glanced down at his feet. "You're standing on…" she trailed off.

He nodded. "Now will you run?" His eyes were pleading in such a way that she had never seen. Their unmasked terror made her shiver.

"You know I can't do that. I can't just leave you. That's not how this partnership works."

He lowered his hand. "You have to understand something, Bones. If you stay here, there's a good chance that we both won't make it out alive."

"And if I leave?"

"Then I have it on my conscious that you got out."

She met his eyes, but he was unable to maintain contact. "What about you?" she asked.

"We shouldn't think about that now. I have a chance." For a fleeting second he thought he had convinced her. He thought maybe she would value her own life more than his.

"What if I was the one standing on that board? Would you walk out and leave me?" Her voice shook with emotion.

He wasted no time in responding. "Of course not."

"And you expect my answer to be different?"

Booth accepted her resolution. "No, I don't."

The professionalism that usually dripped from Brennan's words was long gone. "Why don't we just call the bomb squad?"

"A cell-phone could trigger the explosion. And I don't think you want to leave to go call someone."

"So what do we do?"

In a dire situation, it made his heart swell to know that she still depended on him for guidance. He was the man with all the answers for her, the one who knew just what to say and what to do. Now he only hoped he could find a comforting solution to their dilemma. He would hate to let her down.

"I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of. I've made some mistakes, probably more than any normal person should," he began. "And then I met you. And it drove me crazy that you wanted to be such a big part of my cases. But I got used to it, and even started to like it."

"You don't have to do this, Booth," she whispered.

"I don't regret working with you, Bones. I think these have been the best years of my life, even with our silly fights. You're a good person, you know."

"Thank you." The sound was barely audible.

"I really wish you'd leave. I wish you'd get as far away as you could and just remember that you are probably my best friend."

"I'm not leaving you."

"I know. I'm glad."

She wrinkled her eyebrow at his conflicting statements. "How are we getting out of this mess?"

He tried to look into her eyes, but her questioning glance bore into his soul and he was forced to look away. "In a minute I'm going to take your hand and we're going to run as hard and as fast as we can."

"And if I fall behind?"

"You won't. I'm not going to let go." He held out his arm and she grasped his hand. He stared at their fingers with the knuckles that were turning white from holding so hard. And in the calm before the storm he made a mental promise that if they both got out alive he was going to tell her he loved her. It would only be fitting.

_Please, God, _he thought, _let us both get out alive._

He squeezed her hand and told her to be ready on the count of three. And as the numbers began to fall from his mouth, each one prepared for the upcoming shock. Booth shouted the number three and it reverberated from the concrete walls. He thrust himself forward and Brennan pulled just as hard.

They ran like there was no tomorrow; their legs pounded the floorboards as they headed away from doom. It felt like hours before they reached the front door and just as they crossed the threshold a loud explosion sounded above their heads. Booth jumped, saying her name as he pushed her to the ground, covering her body with his.

The wind had been knocked out of her, but she was able to regain her breath slowly. Booth was dead weight on top of her and she was afraid to move as debris sprinkled the road. Minutes later, concrete shards still fell from the sky and her next fear was that he had been struck by a large chunk of matter and was injured.

She shifted her weight and heard him groan above her. He lifted himself from her and helped her to her knees. Together they crawled to his SUV which had turned a dusty gray. Their chests heaved with exhaustion as they sat against the metal.

"Are you okay?" he asked and brushed the hair away from her face.

"I should be asking you that," she said as she noticed a trickle of blood running down his arm.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Not a scratch, although I think you might've bruised me. Zach was right, you are strong." For some reason, she found that a smile should accompany that thought.

Booth agreed. He chuckled softly. "You know, in spite of all the dirt in your hair, you are really beautiful."

Brennan's cheeks turned crimson. "We should call the cops."

"I am the cops. And I'm sure they've been called. A building _did _just blow up." He rested his finger under her chin. "Thank you for staying."

"Thank you for letting me."

Sirens sounded in the distance and began to grow closer. Booth closed his eyes and rested against the car. He took hold of her hand and began to stroke it with his thumb. "I told myself that if we got out of there I was going to tell you that I love you."

She laughed uncomfortably. "Why would you do that?"

His eyes opened, but he didn't release her hand. "Because it's true." He leaned closer.

A swarm of people began to gather around the pair, but they paid no attention. "I know," she breathed.

And he kissed her. He kissed her because she was the craziest, smartest, best person for him to be around. She let him kiss her because he cared about her and protected her like no one ever had before. Their personalities always worked so well together.

Today was no exception.

* * *

**"Run"**

_I'll sing it one last time for you  
Then we really have to go  
You've been the only thing that's right  
In all I've done_

_And I can barely look at you  
But every single time I do  
I know we'll make it anywhere  
Away from here_

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear_

_Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak I understand  
Why you can't raise your voice to say_

_To think I might not see those eyes  
Makes it so hard not to cry  
And as we say our long goodbye  
I nearly do_

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear_

_Louder, louder  
And we'll run for our lives  
I can hardly speak I understand  
Why you can't raise your voice to say_

_Slower, slower  
We don't have time for that  
All I want is to find an easier way  
To get out of our little heads_

_Have heart my dear  
We're bound to be afraid  
Even if it's just for a few days  
Making up for all this mess_

_Light up, light up  
As if you have a choice  
Even if you cannot hear my voice  
I'll be right beside you dear_

* * *

**Please Review. You'll light up my soul. **

**This story was un-betaed, so feel free to tell me if there are typos. I'll be happy to fix them. Many Booth-filled dreams to those that click that little button. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**You guessed it; I decided to add a second chapter. It just didn't feel _done_ to me. I'm still not sure that it does. And that's where YOU come in. I have sort-of a plottish thing in mind, so if you read this and feel I should continue, please let me know and I will be happy to do so. Nothing makes me happier than pleasing others. And, thanks a million to my reviewers. My friends heard wonderful stories about you all. :)**

**Oh, and googleaddict, you were right. There was another bomb thing that already happened in the show with Zach. And I referenced it. Last chapter, Temperance says something about Zach being right that Booth was strong. That's because he pulled Zach away from the blast and gave Zach most of his injuries. **

**No Exceptions**

**Chapter Two**

It was early in the morning, no later than a few minutes after six, and Temperance Brennan was already hunched over a set of remains. The skeleton proudly displayed that the person had been a male in his early twenties. He was just one of the millions of people to lose their lives in WWII. Brennan was prepared to identify him; she was ready to give him some sort of sense of peace.

She knew that beginning before the sun had risen was unhealthy; she lacked sleep as it was, and certainly did not need to lay on anymore stress. Busy work, that's what it was, something to keep her mind off of more trivial matters. She listed endless notes on her recorder, retreating to her office only when her shoulder began to ache. She had just swallowed an aspirin when Angela Montenegro showed up at her door.

"And I thought I was here early," said the artist.

"I had some things to catch up on," Brennan said and pressed a few keys on her computer.

"No one has anything that important to do at," she checked her wristwatch, "six-thirty in the morning."

Temperance leaned back in her chair. "I was having a hard time sleeping, so I came in. Is that really so unlike me?"

"No, but it doesn't mean that I shouldn't be a little irked that you're not taking it easy. Everyone's entitled to some relaxation." She crossed the floor and found a spot on her best friend's couch. "Did Booth drop you off?"

"He was at his house; I was at mine. I drove myself."

"It's been what, three weeks since the explosion? Haven't you two done anything together?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Booth is very respectful. He doesn't want to rush anything and neither do I."

"If you say so." She rose from the couch and adjusted her skirt. "Well, I'll leave you to your catching up. I've got work of my own to do."

Brennan watched her friend leave and sat in silence as she waited for the pain-killer to take effect. She was hard at work again when Hodgins showed up.

"Ooh, fun case?" he asked.

"I'm busy identifying the remains of a World War Two soldier," she replied.

"Booth hasn't brought another case around?"

"Not lately." She picked up a pencil and noted an anomaly on the lower portion of the femur.

"So he didn't drop you off?"

Her face wound into a scowl that made the man halt his steps. "Look, I have my own car and am completely capable of driving. Booth is not my chauffer and it would do you all well to remember that."

Hodgins shrugged and continued on to Angela's side. "She is not happy," he whispered.

"I know. Give it an hour, and if she's still grumpy, I'll have a chat with her." She pursed her lips and watched as Brennan said something harshly to herself. _Maybe I'll wait half an hour, _she thought.

Angela carried her latest sketch across the room and toward her office. She peeked at Brennan on her way by and noticed that the woman was staring out the window, probably daydreaming. If that wasn't strange enough, she made no indication of acknowledgement when Angela rapped on the door frame a minute later. She took a step closer and cleared her throat.

Brennan's head whipped around and she tried to conjure up an expression that said she had been working on something important. She failed.

"I know that look," Angela said retaking her spot on the couch. "You want to talk about it?"

Temperance sighed. "Do I look confused? Because I feel confused."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure. I keep replaying that day over and over in my mind. You said it yourself, it's been three weeks, so why is it such a big deal?"

Angela smiled sympathetically. "It was a monumental day for you. You not only almost got yourself killed, but you let someone in. That's a big deal for you."

"I suppose. Sometimes when I think about that day, I can't help but wonder what is more important, that we didn't catch the bad guy, or that I let Booth kiss me," said Brennan.

When Special Agent Booth walked into their range of sight, looking giddy as a schoolboy on the day of the dance, Angela grinned and tossed her head his direction. "I'll let you guess which one I'd pick." She winked and made her exit as Booth entered.

"You know, Bones, keep coming in early and people are going to start to think you live here."

"You've been talking to Angela."

He flashed his charm smile. "That's right. She seems to think you need to get out of the lab. I happen to agree with her." He reached around her back and lifted the jacket from her chair. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

She put up a small fight, but in the end he won her over. In all truth, their expedition to the diner was not much different than any previous time. He still opened doors for her and walked with his hand on the small of her back. Only now she recognized the touch as more than a leading gesture; it was something that said he was there for her, that he'd always be behind her.

"I have some good news. They found our man holed up in another abandoned warehouse." He pulled out her chair and then sat himself.

"Three weeks in hiding must've taken a toll. What'd he say?"

"Nothing that we didn't already know. He tried to play innocent, but let's face it, he's toast."

"Hmm," she mumbled before turning her attention to the menu posted on the wall.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked and placed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You seem kind of distant."

"I've just been thinking. I'm not used to this."

He placed a hand on top of hers. "What? Us? We can go slower if you need to. We can do whatever you want. Just tell me what you want. I'll do it."

As he stared into her eyes, something in her mind clicked. It didn't matter that all of this was confusing, it didn't matter that she wasn't used to having someone like him, they were going to be there for each other. She also found the answer to her dilemma, and she had a feeling it was the same as Angela's. So what if they hadn't caught the murderer that day, she had caught something of her own, something that, in her opinion, was even better.

* * *

**Let me know your wonderful thoughts. And as before, I'm sending all of those who review plenty of Booth-filled dreams.**

**And as before, this was un-betaed, so just let me know and I'll be happy to fix any typos. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Wow, my reviewers are simply amazing. I read your reviews and I just about die of happiness. Seriously, every single one of you makes my day. Even those that just drop one word. It's perfect. Now, I usually won't update this soon (I know, "this is soon?", but I do have school to worry about), but in honor of the coinciding events of my seventeenth birthday and the day Bones returns to TV, I wanted to give you something. So please read, enjoy, and leave me a little something.**

**Okay, I know this is a long note, but I have just one more thing. I'm kind of a dork, so I posted this last night, remembered I wanted to save it for the morning, and took it down. Well, the website still told people I had posted, so some of you are getting updates back to back. Sorry for any confusion. Now I'm done. Enjoy! **

**No Exception**

Chapter Three

Their relationship was unconventional at best. They worked together and argued ninety percent of the time. Each knew how to push the other's buttons and succeeded at it quite often. Yet even through all of their frustration, they had the utmost respect for one another. It also helped that they felt the other was attractive. Like opposite ends of magnets, they came together.

Booth showed up at the Jeffersonian around nine one morning with Brennan at his heels. The way their conversation flowed told Angela that they had not just run into each other at the door. She did nothing to hide her satisfied grin.

"I'm telling you, Bones, dinner at a restaurant that requires one to dress up is not a bad thing," he said, pausing his footsteps to look over his shoulder.

"I don't see the point. We always go out right after work. Do you expect me to change in the restaurant's bathroom?"

"Absolutely not. I expect you to not be working. I expect you to be at home getting all primped, or whatever it is you girls do. I expect you to be waiting for me to come pick you up."

"Booth, I never take a day off."

"I've noticed." He frowned and turned to face her completely. "I was hoping maybe you'd start to change."

"I have a job Booth. It has its demands."

"Believe me, I understand job demands. I work for the FBI. But, Bones, you've got to let your hair down once in awhile and let me take you out."

She opened her mouth, perhaps to say something about her hair already being down, but he jumped in before she could speak.

"You took a break for David." It was a low blow, one that he probably shouldn't have used, but she was stepping all over his mood.

Her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. He stared hard at her, never taking a break to blink. A few paces behind them, Angela watched on in amusement. Brennan appeared to be folding, but suddenly her eyes sparked a devilish look.

"Fine, Booth. If I can get Cam to give me the day off to go out to dinner with you, I'll go." She cocked her head slightly, acknowledging her victory and sauntered off to her office.

Booth exhaled through his mouth and glanced at Angela who had a sympathetic look on her face. He checked to make sure no one else was round and mouthed "talk to her" to the artist.

She nodded and waved before heading deeper into the building.

Booth stayed just a moment longer, hoping maybe Brennan had changed her mind, but soon found himself retreating into the morning light.

Angela found her best friend typing speedily on the computer. The woman had gone straight to work without even opening the curtains. Angela scurried over to let in the sunshine.

"He was just trying to be nice," she said.

"I'm aware of that. To the contrary of what it may seem, I know Booth fairly well."

"Then why'd you blow him off? The man wants to spend money on you. Any reasonable girl would jump at that."

"I'm also aware of that. Look, Ange, you can't tell him, but I've already got a day off. For once I'd like to be the one who plans things without _him_ knowing."

"And to think the two of you didn't get together sooner." Angela chuckled and left her friend to sort through e-mails.

Booth spent much of his day completing overdue paperwork. It was a tedious job, but one that had to be done. He checked out at three, hoping to catch the last half of a good basketball game. His answering machine was blinking when he arrived home.

"Hi, Seeley. You probably don't recognize my voice. It's been _years_ since we talked, but—"

_She was wrong. He did recognize her voice. In fact, it was unlikely that he'd ever forget it._

"—it's Katie."

_Katie Haas. The one girl he'd actually liked in his pre-war days. Sure, he'd dated others, but she was, well, special._

"You know, the girl that couldn't help but make googly eyes at the boy who loved his guns."

_They'd been quite the duo. More than once after they broke it off he'd realized that if they'd been living in the forties, he probably would've married her._

"Listen, I'm going to be in town in a few days, so maybe we can catch up. What do you think?" She rattled off her phone number and said good-bye.

He replayed the message once more, trying to get a sense of her tone. He found a pen and some sticky-notes in the kitchen drawer and scrawled down her number. He stuck it to the fridge and retired to his couch.

The next evening, Dr. Brennan exited the Jeffersonian sooner than she had in many years. She supposed it was the hidden girl in her that made her want to surprise Booth. She figured he'd be excited enough for them to enjoy a nice dinner. She'd even beg him to let her pay, though she was almost sure he'd refuse.

She strolled into his office with a big smile. "Hey, Booth. I was thinking…" she stopped when she noticed he was on the phone.

He waved her in and continued his conversation. "It won't be a problem. We've done fine for this long." He listened to the person on the other end, but tossed Brennan a quick grin.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You know I'd let you all stay at my place, Katie, but we'd be too crowded. No, he's with his mother. It's my girl." He winked at the woman in the chair, who shifted once more.

"Cute, Katie. Look, I've got to go, but I'll see you tomorrow." He replaced the receiver and looked at his companion. "This is a nice surprise, Bones."

"I thought maybe you'd want to get some dinner."

"Of course, but it's only five-thirty."

She rose. "Oh, well, if you're not ready, I can always come back later."

He crossed to her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, relax. I'm just stunned you got off this early. Don't get me wrong; it's a good thing."

"Good." She smiled and allowed him to place a hand on her back as they exited. They reached his car when she asked, "Who was that on the phone?"

He averted his glance and unlocked the doors. "She's an old friend."

"Must be a good one; you were going to let her stay with you."

"I'd do that for just about anyone, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. You know, three strange people staying where you sleep occasionally can't be all that fun."

"You didn't have to do that. I can sleep at my apartment while they're visiting. I don't want to be in the way."

"Bones, we're more than work partners now, so I'm going to think of you first."

She picked up on a playful vibe in the air and buckled her seatbelt. "When has it ever been different?"

He slipped on his shades. "Okay, you're sleeping on the couch." He smiled at her laughing response, and was glad that the subject had been changed. The last thing he needed was for all the women in his life to clash. Katie Haas was bound to throw a wrench in the whole process anyway.

* * *

**More to come! I promise. Now please review as a special birthday treat to me. And of course, to get those Booth-filled dreams. This was unbetaed, as always, so just let me know how to fix those mistakes. Thanks so much.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, so I'm officially lame for not updating in over a month. The good news is I updated now. The bad news is the wait will probably happen again, but I'll try not to. I hope you enjoy chapter four. And on a side note, if any of my readers were affected by yesterday's (April 16) school shooting in Virginia, I am deeply sorry. Please know that my prayers are with all of you.**

**No Exception**

Chapter Four

Booth looked at himself in the mirror, surveying his appearance. His lip curled when his gaze reached the red and black checkered tie that sat on his chest. He quickly undid the knot and threw it over his head. It landed on the floor as he began to dig through his top drawer, pulling out every tie he owned.

Brennan stood by the front door of Booth's apartment, tapping her toe on the hardwood flooring. Her watch informed her that they were half an hour late. She had wanted to get an early start at work to clear away some of the mess, but now it looked like she was going to be putting in her usual amount overtime. She cranked her neck, trying to see into the next room.

Booth had eight ties draped around his fingers. He held both hands up to his shirt and squinted. He grimaced; everything looked wrong. He wanted to prove that he had moved from his fraternity days. He was a federal man now and was ready to display it. He moved to the tie pile on the floor and lifted the red and black one.

Brennan sighed when her watch hand hit the hour mark. Her heels clacked on the floor as she moved to the back room with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

"What exactly are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm getting dressed. I need to look good. I have dress code to follow, you know," he replied and secured a solid green tie around his neck.

"Since when do you care about dress codes?" She scanned his body, noticing he had once again abandoned his trademark socks. "You didn't shoot another truck, did you?"

He turned around, a dark blue tie in hand. "No. Why do you assume that?"

"The last time you dressed this boring was because your therapist told you to."

He removed the green tie and knotted on the blue one. "This is all me."

"Who are you trying to impress?"

The words caught in his throat. "No one." He grabbed his keys off the nightstand. "Ready to go?"

She pointed to her watch. "I've been ready to go for two hours."

The lab was bustling by mid-afternoon. Everyone had at least two cases under their belts and were loaded with the extra pressure of elementary school tours. They had all been instructed to put on smiling faces when the young children came in to explore. Brennan looked ready to burst at the idea of a hundred seven-year-olds wandering around her sanctuary, but held her tongue at a harsh look from Booth.

He was listening to her explain a bone anomaly when a shout came across the room.

"Seeley Booth," a woman hollered, "I hardly recognize you."

He looked up and his eyes widened when he rested them on the figure of a short red-headed girl. He descended the platform stairs and walked over to her, leaving Brennan to her bones.

"Katie Haas," he replied, "you don't look a day over eighteen."

She brushed a curl from her eyes, "Now I know that's not true." The pair hugged. "How have you been? Good, obviously. Gosh, what's it been, seventeen years?"

He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Closer to eighteen.

"Well, they've done you good," she gushed.

"And how about you?"

On the other side of the building, Angela and Hodgins watched the scene with interest. Brennan was standing off at an angle, trying her best to read the mysterious woman who seemed so taken with Booth.

"Who is she?" Hodgins asked.

"Apparently she's Booth's _old friend_," Angela answered. Her eyebrows perked up when she heard the red-head chuckle.

"Is this going to be another Cam thing? Do you think she came down here to try to steal Booth away? Do you think he'll go with her?"

"Whoa, Hodgins, easy on the theories. We don't know anything about her. She could just be an old newspaper delivery girl coming to collect some pay."

He scoffed. "I _know_ you don't believe that."

She frowned in her best friend's direction. "It's a better idea than yours." She sped off toward Brennan, her fists neatly balled at her sides.

"Go over and introduce yourself," Angela said.

Temperance tilted her head to the left. "I don't think so."

"Fine. Go over and make _him_ introduce you." She was given the same reply as before. Angela adjusted one of her earrings and added, "If you don't, I will."

Brennan sighed and walked to where the Special Agent stood.

"I honestly never thought I'd see you again," he said to the red-haired woman.

"It wasn't something I planned. I was stopping in town and just thought I'd check in on you." She smiled softly.

"How's Dani?" he asked hesitantly.

"She's just fine. She's waiting in the car. You can meet her later."

Brennan stepped closer to him, bumping his side with her arm.

He glowed when he noticed her presence. "Katie, I'd like you to meet Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Katie held out her hand and grinned when the shake was accepted. "Seeley, could this possibly be the girl you were telling me about yesterday?" She stuck her finger in his stomach.

"Yes. This is my girl." He caught himself when Brennan seemed to alter her stature. "I mean, this is my girlfriend. I don't own her."

Katie chuckled. "That doesn't mean you haven't tried."

"I know my boundaries."

"Well, listen, I really have to be going; it isn't a good idea to leave a kid in the car, even if she's seventeen years old and has a license. We should all get together for dinner tonight. Where's a good place?"

Brennan stood in awe of the woman who commanded so much attention from the man standing next to her. She didn't have to put up a fight for him to follow through with her wishes. There was something there, lurking just beneath the lines; Brennan just couldn't discover what it was.

Brennan and Booth looked up as three shadows fell over their menus. Katie was standing in front of their table, in between a man and a teenage girl. She smiled brightly.

"Seeley, Dr. Brennan, I'd like you to meet Kyle, my boyfriend, and Dani, my daughter."

Everyone took turns shaking hands and soon all the chairs at the table were filled. Small-talk circled the area, but they mostly kept to themselves. Brennan wasn't a master at social situations, but she easily perceived that there was underlying tension between Booth and Katie. Dani kept alternating her glance from person to person, trying to hide her eyes behind a napkin.

The plates of food were delivered and Booth was glad for the distraction. He could sense Katie wanted to have a conversation with him, a conversation they'd agreed never to have. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, particularly since he'd lived so well for so long.

The checks had been placed on the table and Booth and Kyle rose to pay the tabs. Dani excused herself to the restroom, leaving Katie and Brennan alone at the table. Katie leaned forward, searching for anything that would help break through the barrier or uncomfortable silence.

"How long have you known Seeley?" she asked.

Brennan sipped a glass of water. "I've been working with Booth for a couple of years now."

Katie nodded. "Do you like his muscles? I always liked his muscles."

"He is built very well, but there are more important things in life than physical appearance."

She smiled awkwardly. "I think I'll go check on Dani."

Brennan rose when Booth was on his way back to the table. Dani had exited the restroom and was standing at the coat rack. Her face was illuminated by the evening light, and Temperance was staring at her.

"You okay, Bones?" he asked.

"You know, Booth, Dani looks a lot like you." Her eyes wandered over the girl's face. The two had similar bone structure.

He stuck his hands in his pocket for the second time in a day. "There's a reason for that."

And although she was usually inept in all social situations, Brennan could sense there was an underlying message in that statement. Her eyes widened and her jaw clenched.

Booth watched as the brunette's expression twisted into a complex mass of pain and anger. Her emotions were ready to come out and that was probably not good.

She hoisted her purse high on her shoulder.

He sighed. _No, this was definitely not good._

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	5. Chapter 5

**This update was pretty fast for me, and I'm proud of it. End-of-the-year finals and projects are coming up, so it might be awhile before I update again, but I'll try to work fast. Enjoy.**

**No Exception**

Chapter Five

All five people stood in frozen stances. Four eyes focused on Brennan, while hers remained locked on Booth. He had seen her angry before, but never this angry, at least never at him. She opened her mouth.

"Look, if you're going to yell, we should probably go outside," he said and received a grateful glance from the restaurant owner. Booth took a few steps forward and held the door open as the other four filed out.

As soon as he let the frame go, Brennan was next to him, eyes ablaze. "You," she breathed.

"Me," he replied calmly.

"I don't understand you at all. How could you be so insensitive as to never meet her until she's a teenager? Especially after meeting me, you should know what this kind of thing does to somebody!" Her voice was raised and people across the street began to stare.

Katie raised a finger to interject her own opinions, but Booth waved her off.

"Bones, you don't understand; you don't know the whole story."

"What's there to know? You have not one, but two illegitimate children with two different women. I suppose I should be glad that you chose to remain in the life of one of them, but the fact that you've let this one grow up without a father..." she trailed off, her head shaking in bitterness.

Katie pushed Booth aside. "Sorry, Seeley, but I'm not going to stand here and watch her attack you."

"Let it go, Katie," he said somberly.

"No. Listen, Dr. Brennan, for being a scientist, you sure jump to conclusions quickly. Seeley Booth is not Dani's father."

Brennan looked as though she'd been slapped across the face, something Booth had never really hoped to witness. "He's not?" The fire in her eyes had begun to fade and was quickly being replaced with utter confusion.

"No. That honor," she answered, practically spitting out the words, "belongs to his brother."

"I don't understand."

"Apparently. We're going to go. I'll call you later, Seeley; we still need to talk." She composed herself and quickly left with her boyfriend and daughter in tow.

Brennan sat on the curb, a dejected look on her face. Booth stood behind her, glad the yelling was over.

"Do you want to say something?" he asked quietly.

"I want you to say something, something that will make me feel like less of an idiot."

He joined her on the cement. _Concrete, _he corrected himself mentally. "If you had been right, your actions would've been justified."

"I didn't wait for all of the evidence. I assumed something. It was wrong." She felt him drape his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, you know what they say when you assume things."

She met his gaze. "No, what do they say?"

"Never mind."

"You don't say much about your brother," she said eventually.

"I haven't seen him in along time. I think the last time was a few months before Dani was born."

"Oh."

He stood and held out his hand. She accepted and he pulled her up. Together they walked to the car in silence. He stuck the key in the ignition, but didn't turn it.

"Are you waiting for something?" she asked.

"I want to explain." He took a deep breath. "When I was twenty and Katie was eighteen, we met at a club. It sounds completely cliché now, but we fell in love at first sight. I knew I was going to be going away soon, but it didn't matter to her. We spent every waking moment together, and some of the sleeping ones. I really thought I was going to marry her eventually."

Brennan avoided it, but she knew he was watching her, looking for some kind of a reaction. She knew few things about his past, far less than he knew about hers, and she felt as though she was intruding on his memories.

"I told everyone about her and I'm pretty sure they all got sick of me talking, but my family loved her as much as I did. All of them did," he added grudgingly.

"I don't see what's so bad about that," she commented.

"You will in a minute." He breathed slowly, knowing how much he hated the next part of the story. "I went a way for a week for training. One week, seven days of separation, and I counted every one of them. She had said she was going to pick me up from the airport, but I managed to get another flight and arrived earlier than was scheduled and decided to surprise her. I used my key to get into her house and found that she was not alone."

"She was with your brother," said Brennan.

He nodded. "She was with my brother. And when Katie found out she was pregnant, he ran. He realized he'd done more than steal his brother's girlfriend and he couldn't take it back. I tried to get in touch with him and make him take responsibility for his actions, but he wouldn't hear it. And then I left and Katie and I agreed to never talk about our relationship."

"I'm sorry," she said.

He was puzzled. Brennan rarely uttered apologetic words, and when she did, they were never that direct. It usually took some sifting to figure out what she was trying to say. This was uncommon, but he found he liked it.

"Sorry for what?" Booth asked.

"I'm sorry your brother did that to you. I'm sorry that I yelled at you in front of everyone. And I'm sorry that you never got your wedding with Katie."

"You shouldn't be sorry for that last one, Bones. If things had worked out between us, I never would've met you. My brother's actions may have given me some crappy memories, but if it means I got to be with you, I wouldn't change anything. I'm the type of person that believes all things happen for a reason."

He fastened his seat belt and turned the key. They sped off into the darkness, both contemplating the words Booth had said. Their conversation had not made Brennan feel any better, but it had given her some things to think about. First, she knew she had to apologize to Katie. It wouldn't be easy, but she had to make the woman realize she had meant no harm. Her second idea would hopefully bring closure for the family, and maybe even give her some insight into her own life.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I'm excited that y'all are like this story. Sorry it took me so long to update, but here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**No Exception**

Chapter 6

Booth woke up at seven-fifteen the next morning to find his girlfriend staring at him. Her hair was ratted from a rough night and her lip was held firmly between her teeth. She was looking at him with wide eyes, sitting with her legs crossed on the bed.

He cocked his head to the side. "Is there something you need, Bones?" He liked the way the morning light cast shadows on her face. For these brief moments he could pretend that she was not a science girl, but some cute teenager he'd once had the hots for.

"I made a mistake, Booth." She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at the little knots.

He sat up straight and looked her right in the eye. "What'd you do?"

"I accused you of abandoning your child."

He wrinkled an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know. I was there."

"Do you know what hotel Katie is staying at?" Her face was scrunched and he guessed she was plotting something.

"Why?"

"I," she paused, knowing her next words were sure to sound a bit unusual, "wanted to apologize."

"You know," he said as he pulled her close, "that's a really great idea." A short while later, he rolled out of bed and scrawled the information down on a notepad. She was dressed and out the door before he could ask just what she was going to say.

Brennan almost turned back twice, but she soon convinced herself that since she'd never backed of a task before, there was no reason to start now. She pulled into the parking lot and hunted for a space. On a Saturday morning, the place was pretty packed.

She stood in front of the door to suite 314 and went over what to say in her mind. She knocked twice and took a quick step back when she heard footsteps approach.

"Dani, I thought I told you to," the door swung open. "Oh, hello, Dr. Brennan." Katie's hair was wrapped in a towel and she wasn't wearing any makeup.

Brennan stuck her hands inside her coat pockets. "I would've called, but I'm not very good on the phone."

Katie pulled off the towel and her red hair floated down to her shoulders. "Come in, please. Excuse the mess; the room is a bit cramped with three people."

"I understand. I once went to Cambodia and had to share a tent with four people."

Katie smiled cautiously. "I think we've got it a bit better than that." She walked into the bathroom and brushed out her hair. "I'm sure you didn't come here to watch me put on my makeup."

"No, I didn't. I came here to tell you that you were right. I observed a situation and didn't ask questions; I jumped to conclusions quite falsely. I'm not known for my hasty judgments and I'm sorry that it happened while you were around. I should've consulted with Booth before becoming defensive. I have bad experiences in my own father/daughter relationship and I didn't want to see him making the same mistakes my father did." She pulled her hands from her pockets and linked them on her lap.

The redhead placed her brush on the counter and stepped into the main sleeping area. "In all honesty, if I'd been in your position I probably would've acted the same way. Besides, it's not me you should apologize to. Booth may seem like a big tough guy who lets all of this roll off his shoulders, but inside he's a softy."

"Well, I really have to be going to work. They don't function great without me. Thanks for letting me talk; I'll make this all up to you someday."

Katie smiled. "You really don't have to do anything."

Brennan held the door open. "I know, but I want to." She passed Dani on her way down the hallway and the girl gave her a soft glare. Temperance knew at this point that she wasn't going to be making much of anything up to Katie; she was, hopefully, going to help Dani.

When she arrived at the Jeffersonian an hour later, Angela was sitting on the couch holding a cup of Starbuck's coffee. "Thank God! I almost went out looking for you myself."

Brennan removed her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing really. They boys are racing beetles again and I'm about ready to go out of my mind." The artist took a long drink of her coffee.

"They race beetles all the time. I don't see a problem with it other than wasting government money that should be paying them to solve crimes," she said loudly, hoping they would hear.

"Usually it's fine, but this time Zach let Hodgins pick a beetle to keep. The first thing he does is rename it. Do you know what he named it?"

Brennan shook her head.

"Angela. He named it Angela. So now I have to work on my sketches while listening to him shout 'Come on, Angela! You can do it. Kick his butt. Make Daddy proud!' I'm this close to walking over there and crushing the thing beneath my foot." She held her fingers less than an inch apart.

Temperance sat at her desk and pulled up the e-mail on her computer. "Why don't you just ask him to change its name?"

"I've tried. Twice. I don't think he hears me when he's playing like this." She took another swig.

Unsure of how to respond, Brennan changed the subject. "Hey, Booth hasn't been by today, has he?"

Angela brightened up. "Not that I know of, why? You two planning a hot lunch date?"

She sifted through the mail on her desk. "No, I just needed to ask him a favor. I don't think he's going to like it much, but I'm sure I can persuade him."

"Ooh, what is it? Do you want him to move in with you?"

"No. I like our living arrangement. Why, did he say he wants to move in with me?" Brennan inquired.

"Not that I know of. It was just a suggestion, sweetie. What's your big favor?"

"I'd like to ask him before I start gossiping throughout the lab." She turned to her computer and opened the first of her e-mails, a letter from a West Virginia college professor.

"But you are going to tell me, right? Because you know I'll find out anyway." Angela rose from the couch and headed to the door.

"Yeah. I'll talk to you about it later. I really have work to do now." She typed away on the keyboard and didn't notice when Angela left, nor did she notice when Booth arrived and leaned against the wall.

He watched her for a moment and, when he was convinced she'd never look up otherwise, cleared his throat loudly.

"Hi. Big case you need help on?" she asked.

"It's not 'help,' Bones. We're partners. We work as a team." He rubbed his palms together.

"If it's not a case, then what do you want?" her tone had grown slightly colder.

"Angela said you had a huge favor to ask me." He threw her his charm smile.

"She really wants to know, I guess."

"Yeah, and so do I. What do you need?" He stepped closer to her desk.

"I went to the hotel this morning and talked to Katie. Anyway, I decided that we should help Dani." She looked at him for approval.

"Is something wrong with her?" he asked concernedly.

"Not that I know of. Booth, I want you to find your brother." She stood up when he turned away.

"I told you that I haven't seen him in seventeen years, right? Because I'm pretty sure I mentioned that."

"You did. I think you should find him and get him to see Dani and Katie. You always tell me how wrong it was for my dad to leave me, so I would think you'd feel the same way about your brother. He shouldn't get to run from responsibility his whole life."

"Katie has a boyfriend. I don't think she wants Jared back." He looked down at her, and realized that after everything that had happened over the past few weeks, he really shouldn't have been surprised by her actions.

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm just asking you to find him and make him see his kid."

"Bones, I haven't seen or heard from him in seventeen years. What makes you think I can track him down?"

Brennan smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're FBI; you can do anything."

He grinned back and pulled her into a hug. "You're right. So, we find Jared."

"We find Jared."

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	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed. You all made my day. Enjoy chapter seven.**

**No Exception**

Chapter Seven

Despite his fairly quick agreement to Brennan's request, the actual task of searching for Jared was going to be much harder than Booth had previously thought. The older man had run off two months after finding out about Katie being pregnant, and no one had talked to him since.

Booth had been staring at the same screen for an hour without punching a single key. He knew where to begin. Typing in "Jared Booth" was bound to bring up some sort of entry, but he hesitated. Searching for his brother would undoubtedly bring back all of the hurt that had been locked up for so long. He knew Brennan had only wished for him to help his niece, but he couldn't help wondering if she also wanted him to be reunited with his past.

The cursor flashed in the search box, and Booth held his fingers over the keyboard. He took a deep breath and pressed the proper letters. The results came up with Jared Ignatius Booth as the first of 237 options. "Ignatius," Booth said, "Strike one."

The next fifty pages were as unhelpful as the first. A headache began to form as he scrolled past one Jared Booth, a known drug dealer and circus clown, to the next Jared Booth, a mass murderer who was currently sitting in a California jail. He rubbed his temples and begged for the pain to go away.

"You know, Advil works wonders," came a female voice from the door.

He looked up and smiled, his throbbing skull forgotten. "Hey, Bones. How's it going?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing." She walked over and her heels clacked on the floor.

"I am no closer today to finding my brother than I was seventeen years ago. This isn't going to be easy."

She rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sorry. You're not going to give up, are you?"

Booth tilted his head to see her better. "I'm FBI; I never give up. I've just got to figure out what parts of him would be in the system. Jared had a knack for getting out of things he didn't like."

Brennan left him fifteen minutes later and he returned once more to his computer screen. He typed in a few more distinguishing facts about his brother and was pleased when the new results had been narrowed down to just fifteen persons.

There, on the bottom of the second page, was the decade-old photograph of Jared Booth. Seeley stared at the man he had long ago learned to put from his mind. The last known address was just a year old, and Booth had high hopes he'd find his brother there. He picked up his desk phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Hey, pack your bags. We're going to Boise." He hung up and hit the print button on his computer.

Brennan met him at his apartment, holding two suitcases by her sides. He gave her a quick kiss before picking up his own bags and lugging them down the stairs to his car. Once everything was loaded, they climbed in and began the drive to the airport.

"Are you going to tell me exactly what's going on?" She questioned. "You were pretty vague on the phone."

Booth switched off the radio. "Jared's last known address is in Boise, Idaho. That was a year ago, but he could still be there. If not, it at least gives us some sort of starting place. Someone's bound to remember him. He is the type of person that leaves a lasting impression."

"So what's the plan? We just show up at his place and demand he comes back to D.C. with us to meet his daughter?"

"Not exactly. Jared isn't going to come that easily. He ran away for a reason." Booth's last sentence ended with a note of bitterness that was recognized by his partner.

"Booth," she started softly, "are you sure that you can handle this? I never meant for this whole thing to make you feel bad."

"Hey, look, I might not have gone about it in quite this manner, but I had to see my brother sooner or later. If it had to be sooner in order to get him to see Dani, then so be it." He sounded resolved, but did grasp the steering wheel a bit tighter.

They didn't speak much on the flight. Each person seemed to have a lot on their mind. Booth was imagining what it would be like to see his brother for the fist time in over a decade, and Brennan was caught up in the thought of meeting someone in Booth's immediate family. Their usual exploits were searching for her family, and it was odd for her to see the shoe on the other foot.

Images replayed in Booth's mind.

He was twenty and walking into the bar for the first time. He'd picked out the girl with red hair almost instantly. Katie had a large smile and a loud laugh. She was bold, flirting with him before he sat down.

He was being sent off to training and kissing Katie goodbye at the door. Tears ran down her face even as he reminded her once again that it would only be a week.

He was home early, a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a smile on his face, stepping over the threshold into his house. He checked the living room where Katie could usually be found with her nose in a magazine, but she was not there. Nor was she in the kitchen, cooking herself her favorite style of pasta. He heard her voice in his bedroom and pushed open the door. He dropped the flowers on the ground, grabbed the keys to his car from the dresser, and stormed out.

Booth opened his eyes at the sound of the stewardess's voice. They would be landing in a few minutes. He looked at the woman beside him and grinned: she was fast asleep. Brennan was so unlike Katie. Where Katie was the first one to make friends in a crowded room, Brennan stood in the back studying the people and waiting for someone she recognized. Where Katie was loud and open, Brennan was quiet and a lot harder to get something out of. It was not the first time that Booth realized he liked the latter of those options much better. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently shook.

She glanced up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We're getting ready to land."

"Oh, good." She sat up straight and made sure her seatbelt was secure.

"Hey, Bones," he said a moment later, "thanks for coming with me."

"I'm the one that asked you to look for Jared. I couldn't very well leave you to do it all by yourself. Besides, did you really think I'd let you go off by yourself?" Her rare smile peeked out.

They rented a car at the front desk of the airport, and Brennan didn't even mind that Booth had chosen a fancy sports car. The luggage was thrown into the back seat and Booth drove off.

"These roads aren't great," she said as they went over cracks and bumps.

"You'd think that the state wasn't doing anything about it, but I checked the traffic report. They've got about fifteen projects going on in this city alone."

"Are you going to be able to navigate your way to his house?"

"Of course I am. I am a master navigator. And, I've got my cell phone with turn-by-turn directions." He chuckled.

211 Ellis Street was a small home that looked as though it had been built in the 1940's. The brick was cracking and some of the shingles were peeling off the roof. Booth put the car in park and got out. Brennan followed allowing him to take the lead.

Before reaching the path, he turned to face her. "Just follow my lead, okay?"

"What are you going to tell him?" she inquired.

"That's not the point. Just go along with it, alright?" Booth frowned.

"Okay."

He stepped up to the front door and rapped his hand on the wood three times. He fought the urge to announce his presence in standard FBI manner; he knew it wouldn't help. When no one answered, he knocked a few more times and stood back with his hands on his pockets. At last, movement sounded inside and the front door was pulled open.

The man inside had a dark five-o'clock shadow and bags under his eyes. He held a beer in one hand and a cigarette stuck out of his mouth. He took in the appearances of the two clean-cut individuals standing before him and arched a brow. "What do you want?" he growled.

Brennan guessed that they had arrived at the wrong house. This man looked to be far older than the 42 years Jared Booth was. She was ready to return to the car when Booth spoke.

"Hello to you, too, Jared. Aren't you going to invite us in?"

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks so much to all of the reviewers. I appreciated them all. I'm hoping to hear from more of you on this chapter. Enjoy.**

**No Exception**

Chapter Eight

Jared looked Booth up and down and then moved his gaze to Brennan. He took another puff of his cigarette and stepped back. "Fine, but you can't stay long."

Booth held his hand out, signaling that Brennan should enter first. She was a little nervous, and more than a bit afraid of what she'd see inside. Her mind was conjuring images of overturned garbage cans and filth-covered walls.

Her jaw almost dropped when she made it inside. The house was meticulously clean. All of the upholstery looked new, and there were vacuum lines on the carpet. The only cigarette butts she saw were lying in the single ashtray that sat atop a stuffed bookcase. It was sights like this that made her doubt her ability to read people.

Booth scanned the room as well, but instead of pleasant surprise, he felt nothing but the old anger stirring within his soul. And they hadn't even been there five minutes.

Jared crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out two cans of beer. He held them out to the partners, but Booth waved him away.

"I'm driving. They have laws against this kind of stuff."

His brother put one can on the counter and turned towards Brennan. "Fine, then she can have one."

She felt a bit like he was asking her to come over to his side, something she would never do, but she accepted the can anyway. It was hard enough to have an argument with Booth; she didn't fancy getting into one with his brother.

Brennan popped the top and took a sip. The boys just stared at each other, their eyes falling deeper into glares with every second. She examined the exchange with interest. Whereas it was not outright obvious the pair were related, she was starting to see the pieces fall in. They had the same dark eyes and rugged stance, though Booth was more muscular than his brother. Time had lined Jared's face and stained his teeth. Brennan doubted he possessed the art of the 'charm smile' that characteristically belonged to his brother.

"What are you doing here?" Jared asked. "Last I heard you were a big FBI Agent in D.C. That's a long way from Idaho."

"Do I need a reason to visit my own flesh and blood?" Booth responded somewhat bitterly. Brennan shrunk back into the living room.

"Don't play games with me, Seeley. We both know you didn't come out here simply because you missed me. You've had seventeen years for that."

"It's been eighteen years and a month since I saw you last, Jared. Do the math."

"Why would I do that when you can do it for me?"

"I'm just going to go sit in the car," Brennan said as she placed the beer can on the bookcase.

"No!" the brothers said together.

"Bones, just stay there. It won't take long," Booth said. His voice still had an edge to it, but he was calmer talking to her.

"What kind of name is Bones? Who is she?" Jared asked.

"I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan. I'm a forensic anthropologist with the Jeffersonian Institute in D.C. I often work with the FBI to solve murders. Booth, uh, Seeley, is my partner." It felt weird to call him by his first name, but she didn't want to risk confusion.

"We're more than partners, Bones. She's my girlfriend." As he said it, an idea formed in his head. He'd been stuck for awhile, trying to figure out how to get Jared to go to D.C., but he finally had it. "Jared, we'd like you to come back to D.C. with us."

Jared walked over to the bookshelf and killed his cigarette. "Why in God's name would I do that?"

"What, now you've abandoned religion, too?" Booth asked.

"That happened a long time ago. Now answer my question."

"We want you to come back…so you can be in our wedding. That's right, we're getting married and Bones here figured it would be as good a time as any for us to reconcile."

She hated that he had dragged her into it like this, but she knew that she was the one who initiated the reunion in the first place. She also knew that she had promised to go along with whatever Booth said. She smiled, wished they had let her go back to the car, and walked over to Booth's side.

He put his arm around her shoulders, certain he was going to have to make it up to her as soon as they got home.

"You came over two thousand miles to ask me to a wedding. Why didn't you just pick up the phone? It would've saved you gas money," said Jared. He eyed the pair suspiciously. Why would a brother he hadn't seen for almost two decades want him to be in his wedding?

"We flew," Booth stated. "So, how about it?"

"When is this wedding? I have a job, you know."

"Two weeks," said Booth.

Jared sighed. "Let me think about it. Do you have a phone number I can call you at?"

Booth scribbled his cell number on a notepad from the counter and shoved it in his brother's hand. "We're leaving in three days." He led Brennan to the door, not stopping when she said a rushed goodbye.

They were back on the freeway before she turned on him. "I know I told you I'd go along with whatever you said, but what were you thinking?"

"Bones, I'm sorry, but it was the only thing I could think of. I couldn't tell him about Katie and Dani being in town. He would've run off in the middle of the night. In fact, I'll be shocked if he sticks around as it is."

"You know what I have to do now, don't you? I have to call everyone at the lab and get them to play along with this. I'm sure Angela will go for it, but Zach will be hard to convince. And Cam, she's not too happy with me at the moment." She was worried, something he rarely saw from her.

"Hey, hey, relax. I'm the one who invented this wedding; I'll get everybody on the same page."

"Just promise me that you'll tell your brother about Dani before we say 'I do.'"

Booth chuckled. "You got it, babe."

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	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks so much to all my reviewers. This is my longest chapter yet and I hope you enjoy it! I upped the rating, but just a little. Let me know what you think at the end.**

**No Exception**

Chapter Nine

The blonde woman at the front desk of the Best Western motel pushed her glasses high up on her nose. She quietly cleared her throat, but the pair in front of her appeared not to hear. They were engaged in a hushed conversation that the woman recognized as an argument only by the blunt hand motions coming from both people.

At last they seemed to reach an agreement and the brunette woman stepped forward. "We'd like a double room," she said, smiling and placed a credit card on the counter.

The man joined her and spoke through gritted teeth into her ear. "I still don't see how this is going to work."

The woman signed the receipt with a flourish. She turned to face the man. "It'll be fine, Booth. For once in your life, just trust me."

The blonde read the signature. _Temperance Brennan_, gosh that sounded familiar. Something in her brain clicked. "Hey, you're that author. We've got your book next to the breakfast bar."

Brennan smiled again. "That's great. Can we have our keys now?"

The blonde looked slightly put off by Brennan's abruptness, and she quickly handed over two key-cards. "The stairs and elevator are to your left." She watched them walk back out the door without another word. "Celebrities," she mumbled.

Back at the car, Booth began unloading their luggage from the back. "You could've been nicer, Bones."

"It's been a long day and I'm tired. I plan on going to our room and getting a lot of sleep while you make all the arrangements for this wedding we're having." She grabbed her maroon suitcase and went back to the building.

"You know, it's times like these that don't make me wonder why she's never married before," he said under his breath as he followed her retreating back with his eyes.

The hotel room was small; there was barely room for a night table between the two queen-sized beds. Brennan had thrown her suitcase on the one closest to window and was now propped up on some pillows, reading a forensics journal.

Booth shoved his luggage into the corner and looked at her. "Why are you working now? I thought we could go out to dinner or something. You know, have the full Idaho experience."

"This isn't work; it's pleasure. It is very thrilling to see what other scientists think about means of interpreting evidence."

"Yeah, I bet. So, listen, you want to explain to me again why we got a double room? We got a single in Vegas, and we weren't even dating then." He sat on the edge of his bed and folded his hands in his lap.

"This isn't a vacation, Booth. We came here to get a job done and I don't want personal stuff to get in the way."

"You do realize that our 'job' is personal, right?" He leaned forward and pulled the magazine from her hands.

"That's not the point. We have to stay focused."

"We talked to Jared. It's his turn to decide. Right now I don't want to think about him or Katie or even Dani. I just want to focus on you." He hopped over to her bed and pushed her suitcase onto the floor.

"You think you can get people to do whatever you want," she said softly.

"That's why they gave me the badge, ma'am," he replied, grinning. He took her lips with his own and his goal was met. All thoughts of his family were driven from his mind by the fire in their hearts and the fever in their hands.

* * *

Three hours later Brennan was deep into the forensics journal and Booth was pacing the floor of the hotel room. They had finished off the sandwiches he ordered from the room service menu and now all that was left to do was to get the wedding plans in order. At this point, Booth knew that a wedding was the only way to draw Jared to D.C., but he still wished things could've been less complicated. Getting at least four other people to lie about something that big would be difficult.

"You're going to ruin the carpeting," Brennan said, looking up from an article on skeleton reconstruction she found particularly interesting.

"I've been thinking, Bones, and you're probably not going to like it."

She put down the magazine and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Is something wrong?"

"Not technically. You know that story that parents tell kids about lying? How you say one lie and then have to tell another to cover the first one and then another to cover that one and so on? We've kind of put ourselves into that situation, haven't we?"

"I suppose so, but we're smart enough to keep our stories straight, don't you think?"

"Oh, I trust the two of us, most definitely," he said. "But here's the thing: the more people we drag into this, the likelier it is that the story will come unraveled before we're ready."

"That makes sense," she agreed. "The less people that know a secret, the lower the chances are for something to go wrong."

Booth rubbed his hands together. "Exactly. I'm glad we're on the same page."

"What page is that?" she asked, wrinkling her brows in confusion.

"We're going to have a real wedding, Bones. At least, that's what we're going to tell everyone."

"Excuse me?" She liked this plan less as the night wore on.

"You didn't tell anybody why we came to Boise, did you?"

"No. I told Angela that it had something to do with my mother and that you were coming with me. She probably passed that on to anyone who asked." She stood and walked over to his side.

"Good, then we're in the clear. Look, all we have to do is pretend like I proposed to you while we were here. That way, everyone thinks the story is real and we don't have to worry about the Katie/Dani/Jared mess until it's absolutely necessary. We only have to trust ourselves on this one."

"What makes you think people will be convinced that I've decided to marry you? Angela knows how I feel about the archaic nature of marriage."

"I bet that Angela would believe that someone like me changed your mind."

"You're giving yourself too much credit," she said, resting her hands on her hips.

"Prove me wrong," he dared.

"I don't like this, Booth. I don't like it at all. Too much could go wrong."

"Like what? It's the perfect plan. I don't think you want to spill the beans, and I certainly don't plan on opening my mouth too soon."

"I don't know, how about the fact that I don't have a ring?" She held up her left hand to display her bare finger.

"We'll handle that tomorrow. First thing. Now we have to set the ball in motion. You need to call Angela."

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Because it doesn't make sense that I would call _your_ best friend to inform her of our engagement."

* * *

"He did _what_?!" Angela shouted from D.C. She stood in the living room of Hogdins's house with a lavender-scented facial mask on.

"Proposed. We went to the Botanical Gardens and he did it." Brennan bit her lip and scribbled the words 'Botanical Gardens' on a notepad. She needed to remember all the details of the story and pass them along to Booth.

"Wow. What did you say?" She waved Hodgins away when he tried to listen in on the call. She didn't want to take a chance of missing something her friend said.

"Yes."

"Yes? You said yes?"

"Yes."

"You said yes. I can't believe you said yes. That is amazing. You're engaged. I never thought that I would ever hear those words, let alone say them."

"Neither did I," Brennan admitted.

"So, how big's the rock?" Angela asked, now sitting down. The excitement of her friend's news had caused her to go weak in the knees.

"What?"

"The ring. How big is the diamond?"

"Oh, well, I actually don't have a ring yet. I guess he just proposed on a whim and wasn't really prepared. He's going to get one tomorrow," she said.

Angela frowned. "Put Booth on the phone. I need to talk to him."

Brennan smiled sheepishly and looked at her partner. "Hey, Booth, Angela wants to talk to you."

He took the phone from her hand. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"She does not sound happy with you right now, and I might have a little something to do with that."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you didn't get me a ring." His eyes widened and she added, "What? It's the truth. The less lies we tell, the better."

Booth put the phone to his ear. "Hey, Ange, how's it going?"

She let into him quickly. "You propose to my best friend and you don't even get her a ring?"

He lowered the volume with a push of a button. "Well, see, I hadn't really planned on proposing, but we were," he paused and looked at the notepad that rested on Brennan's lap, "at the Botanical Gardens and it just kind of happened. You should know all about spontaneity."

"Fine, but she better have a good one when you come back. When's that going to be, anyway?" Angela asked after having calmed down a little. Hodgins poked his head in from an adjacent room.

"We're here for a couple more days. We've just got to check out a couple more loose ends. We'll definitely be back in time for the wedding."

"Are you trying to tell me that you already have a date set for the wedding?" She couldn't believe her ears. Booth may have been the type of guy to rush into things, but Brennan was generally very hesitant about life-altering changes. Something fish was going on…

"Yeah, uh, it's in two weeks. Spread the word, okay?" Booth wanted to get her off the phone before she interrogated him into giving up the truth. He wondered why she had never gone into the FBI with skills like that.

"Okay, sure. Tell Brennan I said congratulations."

Booth punched off the phone without saying goodbye. "You were right. I think Angela is a little suspicious."

"Well, why wouldn't she be? I told you; she's my best friend, so she's bound to be curious. Do you still think this is going to work?" She took the phone and put it on the nightstand and then held his hand.

"I think we can make it work," he responded, rubbing her fingers with his thumb. "You know, if we stop worrying about everything blowing up in our faces, we could actually have a lot of fun with this."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. The last time we were 'undercover' was in Vegas. I don't know about you, but aside from getting beat up, I enjoyed myself. We're very good at pretending to like each other. And now we don't even have to pretend."

"I didn't bring the black dress."

"There are stores around here, darling. Besides, I don't think you'll need it."

* * *

**Please review. Booth-filled dreams to those who do. Take it from someone who dreams of Booth all the time; it's totally worth it.**


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